Process of canning asparagus.



G. W. WEBER.

PROCESS OF GANNING ASPARAGUS.

APPLICATION rum) MAR. 31,1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

OF NEW YORK, N. 1.,

,ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mm w. woman, or an PAUL, munnso'rn, ASSIGROR 'ro airman a CORPORATION or Imw mam.

P806283 6! (31131118 ASPABLGUI.

specification of mun rum.

' Patented me, 1914.

Application filed March at, 1913. Serial No. 757,847.

To all whom it may concern fication.

This invention relates to impmvements in process of canning asparagus and other food studs which, of necessity, must be so packed and held within the can or container that the same cannot move around and thereby become mashed or injured during shipment.

The object of the invention is to provide a process of canning asparagus and other food stuffs, in which cans of the so-called sanitary type may be used; in which the cross sectional shape will be changed and the cross sectional area decreased after the can has been filled and sealed to thereby firmly clamp and hold the food products in position within the can; and in which certain or predetermined areas or portions of the sides of the cans will be collapsed to cause the changes of cross sectional shape and area.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the steps and novel combinations of the steps ot-the shown, described or claimed.

in the drawing forming. a part ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary can used in carrying out my improved process. Fig. 2 is a diametrical, longitudinal, sectional view of a can filled with asparagus, showing the can before the same is collapsed,.and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view of a can filled with asparagus, showing the can in its final or collapsed condition, in which the asparagus is firmly clamped or held at the centers of the stalks and ample space provided for the tips so that the same will not be crushed.

As is well known, certain food products which are packed in long pieces, and par ticularly asparagus, must be held within the can during shipment, so that the same can neither slide up nor down within the can when the latter is tipped, and must also be prevented from rotating or moving around within the can while the same is being handled, in order to prevent the delicate asparagus tips from being in a mashed or injured condition when delivered to the consumer.

The consuming public is now demanding process herein more and more that all food products be shipped in the so-called sanitary can, that is, a can having the ends united to the body by means of seams without employing solder,

and from the manufacturers point of view,

the use of such sanitary cans is highly desirable, since they may be filled readily on account of the large mouth of the can before the cover is applied, and furthermore,

for the reason that the cans, being of cylindrical form, are more easily double seamed than are the square or irregular shaped cans.

in carrying out my process, I provide a sanitary can 10, which, as shown in the drawing, is of cylindrical term and is provided with a plurality of beads, creases, indentations or other outlining means 11 which determine and outline a plurality of panels 12, the number of such panels on the can shown in the drawing comprising five, al-

though this number may be varied as de sired. The can is next filled with the asparagus 13, or other food product, after which the can with its contents is passed through a cooker or exhaust box to process the contents. This processing step will not only heat and expand the contents but will rarefy or attenuate the air in the small space at the top or the can, with the result that when the cover or closing end 1st is applied to the can and hermetically seamed thereto while the can and its contents are still hot, a partial vacuum will be created within the can when the contents are allowed to cool. While the partial vacuum is being formed within the can, the external atmospheric pressure will cause the panels 12 to collapse, as shown at 12. in Fig. 3, the shape and area of these collapsed panels being determined by the beads 11, with the result that the cross sectional shape of the can at points intermediate its ends is changed from circular to polygonal, and the cross sectional area materially decreased, so that the asp'aragus 13 will be compressed or clamped at the centers of the stalks, but the ends of the container above and below the beads 11 will remain intact, thus preventing crushing or injuring of the asparagus tips.

Although I have shown and describedmy process as carried out with a particular type of container Yet it will be understood that other forms containers may be used, and also that the cross sectional form and cross Chit CQHPAN'I,

till

sectional area may be changed by pressure within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim 1. The process of canning asparagus and other food products which consists in first placing the food product in a sheet metal container and subsequently reducing the cross sectional area of the container at oints intermediate its ends, to thereby grip and hold the food product and prevent the same from movement within the container, substantially as specified.

2. The process of canning asparagus and other food products, which consists in placing the food product ina sheet metal container and thereafter simultaneously decreasing the cross sectional area and changing the cross sectional shape of'the container at points intermediate its ends, substantially as specified.

3. The process of canning asparagus and other food products, which consists in first taking a container of substantially uniform cross sectional area throughout its length, then filling the container with the food product, and subsequently reducing the cross sectional area of the container at points intermediate its ends, to thereby firmly grip and hold the food product within the container, substantially as specified.

4. The process of canning asparagusand other food products, which consists in first taking a container having cylindrical end portions, then filling the container with the I food product, and 'subsequentlyreducing the ng the cross sectional shape of the contalner at points intermediate the ends of the container b pressure exerted on the side walls thereo substantially as specified. V i

5. The process of canning asparagus and other food products taking a container having portions, then filling the container cross sectional area and changi cylindrical Lend with the food product, heating the contents of the container before the container is sealed, then sealing the container while the contents are still hot, to thereby produce a vacuum within the container when the contents have cooled sufficient to cause the side portions of the container to collapse, and for the purpose specified.

6. The process of canning asparagus and other food products, which cbnsists in first taking a cylindrical sheet metal container, then filling the same with the food product, then sealing the container, and changing the cross sectional shape of the container at points intermediate its ends from circular to polygonal, substantially as specified.

7. The process of canning asparagus and other food products, viding a sheet metal container of substantially uniform cross sectional area throughout withpanel outlining means, then filhng the container with the food product, and thereafter collapsing the outlined panel portions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE W. WEBER. Witnesses:

W. D. Fosren, C. W. GRAHAM.

substantially as finally which consists in pro- 1 which 'consistsin rst 

